Curiouser and Curiouser
by Kyia Star
Summary: Kurokawa Hana notices something different about Sawada Tsunayoshi and those that surround him and she's going to figure out what it is.


**Curiouser and Curiouser**

I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. This is my birthday gift to Yamikakyuu on LiveJournal. I'm guessing this is more manga compliant than anime. Canon, no real pairings, except at the very end, and to that, I give credit to _Yami Dragon of Darkness_, on for the idea. Many thanks to nerdish for beta-reading!

Summary: Hana notices something different about Sawada Tsunayoshi and those that surround him and she's going to figure out what it is.

…

Stupid-Tsuna; Loser-Tsuna; No-Good Tsuna. These were the names that Sawada Tsunayoshi contended with daily. Normally, he lived up to the names. But lately he hadn't. He was changing—No-Good Tsuna was changing. Hana had seen glimpses of it and glimpses of the changes in the classmates who surrounded him. Kyouko had changed, too; she was more introspective. Hana had caught Ryohei's little sister gazing at Tsuna with a far-off look in her eyes. A look that Hana couldn't understand.

Tsuna was different; he seemed older, more mature. _It was as if he'd travelled in time and came back…_ She titled her head to the side, peering at him quizzically. Scarred, she decided. It looked like he came back scarred. Haunted worked, too. Then again, maybe he was just trying to impress Kyouko or that preppy middle schooler that was always hanging around him. No, Hana knew, that wasn't right. It wasn't a need to impress someone that put that look in his eyes. His grades were marginally better—as if he was putting more effort into studying. That, if anything, would be a way to impress Kyouko, so Hana could understand that change. It still didn't explain why looked so…sad; so burdened.

Tsuna wasn't the only person that had changed. Those that surrounded Tsuna had also gone through some sort of ordeal; even though they smiled and joked and laughed, they had the same haunted eyes as Sawada. There were other little things, that hadn't escaped Hana's notice. Ryohei was no longer hassling Sawada to join the boxing club; he hadn't stopped hassling other people about joining it—just Tsuna. Gokudera was even more attentive and solicitous around the smaller boy, but that's wasn't a big change to Hana's mind. Yamamoto—well, she found that his change was interesting. Yamamoto hadn't exactly had a problem with Tsuna before they became friends—baseball being his first love, but now it was if Sawada had given him another reason to live.

The absolute, and most single startling change was in Hibari Kyouya, the middle-school boy who ran the disciplinary committee with iron tonfas and a vicious promise to bite someone who offended the school (or him) to death. He no longer threatened Sawada; he seemed to show him a small modicum of respect. Hana didn't know which was scarier: lack of threats to Tsuna's well-being (that she'd heard); or the sudden respect that he'd gained for Sawada. She didn't know what was going on, but she was going to find out. She hated not knowing something when all the people she seemed to associate with knew.

Naturally, the first person she asked was Kyouko herself. After all, the two of them were best friends; they had been friends since either girl could really remember. Best friends, really. She couldn't imagine Kyouko keeping some monumental secret from her. She confronted the younger Sasagawa when they were in Kyouko's room, studying for a test.

"Everything all right with you?" Hana asked, noticing the odd, far-off look in Kyouko's eyes for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that day.

"Eh? Yes, why?"

"You've been strangely preoccupied lately."

Kyouko shrugged. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind," she replied.

"Oh?" Now was her chance. "Does it have to do with Sawada, by any chance?" She aimed a cheeky grin at the blush on Kyouko's face. Bingo! "It does, doesn't it?" she asked. "What did Loser-Tsuna do this time? He's been acting weird, too, hasn't he?"

"What do you mean?" Kyouko asked sharply.

"Sawada is…weird…different—I don't know. But I know there's something off about him. He likes you so I thought he might tell you what's going on."

In the years that Hana had known Kyouko, she very rarely saw her friend get angry. It was like Ryohei had inherited the temper and Kyouko was the sweet-as-apple-pie child in the Sawada family. But at that moment, she was angry, that anger was directed at Hana, and she didn't know why. She found out soon enough.

"Don't call him that!" the other girl snapped.

Hana was taken aback. Kyouko had never once gotten upset when she'd called Sawada 'Loser-Tsuna.' Kyouko had never rebuked Hana; she also hadn't participated in calling Sawada names, either. Hana held up her hands in a peace gesture. "All right, all right. I'm sorry. I won't call him that anymore. But… I'm right, he's different. Do you know why?"

All at once, Kyouko's expression became closed. "Hana-chan, show me how to do this problem," she said, faking a large smile, shoving her text book towards Hana and pointing to the aforementioned problem.

Hana took the textbook bemusedly and looked at the question. Kyouko knew how to do this problem. She could do it in her sleep, blindfolded. Whatever was new about Tsuna had to be serious if Kyouko was avoiding the topic. It told Hana that whatever actually happened to Sawada was bad, indeed. Her next source was Ryohei, though she didn't have much in the way of hope for him, seeing as it wasn't a boxing problem.

He was practicing in the dojo, she saw. Hana shook her head. Boxing freak. He should be using gloves, she thought, but for some reason, he didn't seem to need them. _Where had he gotten that ring,_ she wondered, as he launched a stupendous punch that sent the bag flying off its anchoring chain. He took a break then and turned to get some water. When had he gained those muscles, she wondered.

"Kurokawa," he said, spying her. He gave her an easy grin. "I know you're not interested in boxing to the extreme. What brings you here? Is Kyouko all right?"

She wished Ryohei would drop the 'to the extreme.' It was old. "That's my line. She seems to be a bit preoccupied, lately. I think Sawada has something to do with it."

That same closed expression appeared on his face and he frowned.

"I knew it!" she announced, triumphantly. "What did he do to her, Ryohei?"

It was like watching him battle with himself fiercely. "Ryohei," she tried again, "what did Sawada do?"

The elder Sasagawa shook his head. "Nothing," he said, glaring at the floor.

_Liar, _she thought. _That had to be a lie._

As if he could read her thoughts, he looked at her soberly. It was an oddly mature look on his otherwise clueless-looking face. "Leave it, Hana-chan. Don't involve yourself."

It was as if he'd dumped cold water on her. Hana had never heard him rebuke anybody, not even Kyouko. Furious, she stormed out, leaving a thoughtful Ryohei staring after her.

So who could she ask next? Gokudera, she decided. Why, exactly, had he moved from Italy to Japan? And smart as he was, why had he chosen Namimori Middle School? From what Hana could see, he practically worshipped Sawada. She didn't know what the delinquent and the genius had in common to sustain a friendship—after all, what did 'Loser-Tsuna' have in common with the smartest kid in the class? After class the next day, she found Gokudera Hayato waiting outside their classroom. Ah, that's right—Tsuna was on clean-up duty.

"Hey, Gokudera-kun."

He looked up at her and frowned. "Kurokawa? You're not on duty. Why're you still here?"

"I think I dropped something in the classroom. Sawada's cleaning though, so I'll wait for him and then I'll ask him if he found anything."

Gokudera shrugged and closed his eyes. She leaned against the wall opposite of him and watched him. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Hey…Gokudera-kun."

He opened his eyes and looked at her with a bored expression.

"Why did you transfer from Italy to Japan?"

He stiffened at her question and frowned, crossing his arms defensively. He had a ring, too she noticed. "Does it really matter?"

"No, no. I'm just curious. Why Namimori?"

He didn't get the chance to answer and he hardly seemed upset about this; Hana had a feeling that she wouldn't like the answer, anyhow. At that moment, the classroom door slid open and Tsuna, bidding a goodbye to the classmates that had helped him clean up, stepped out.

Gokudera pushed away from the wall and stood straight. "Tenth!" he exclaimed happily. "You're finished."

_Tenth?_ Hana wondered. _Tenth, what?_

Tsuna nodded and grinned a little at Gokudera. "Yeah. Thanks for waiting, Gokudera-kun." His eyes travelled to Hana. "Kurokawa-san?" he asked, surprised to see her there.

"You didn't find my planner, did you?" she lied.

Tsuna shook his head. "Sorry. There was nothing in the classroom."

"Oh, well. I thought maybe… Thanks, Tsuna." Turning, she walked off.

Gokudera noticed Tsuna staring after her. "Tenth?"

"Kurokawa's being nice," he commented, shaking his head. He wondered what she was up to. "Must have been a very good day," he contemplated. "Let's go, Gokudera-kun. I need to see what sort of mischief Lambo and I-Pin managed to get themselves into."

…

So much for that, Hana decided. She'd gotten absolutely nothing from Gokudera, less than nothing, actually. Then again, with how he worshipped Sawada, she didn't think she'd learn anything, period. She kicked at the packed dirt, annoyed. _Who next?_ _Yamamoto._

Realizing that she was headed towards the track field, she veered to the right and made her way to the baseball dug out. It was empty when she got there—practice having long since finished, apparently. Reaching out with one hand, she grabbed the wire of the fence and simply stared at the baseball field. It looked so lonely without people practicing. With a dejected sigh, she let go of the wire and stepped back. Turning, she nearly collided with the school doctor, the one who always claimed that he didn't treat men. But he did anyways, she knew. "Dr. Shamal," she said softly.

"Oh, Hana-chan! What brings you to the baseball field? Looking for a little…action?" he asked, leaning towards her and waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Her fist connected with his cheek. "Humph. It's Kurokawa to you, perverted doctor," she said, skirting him and starting to walk away. Then she stopped. He knew Tsuna pretty well, didn't he? "Hey…perverted doctor."

"Huh? You want me to kiss you, after all?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"Keep dreaming! Listen, you know Sawada pretty well, don't you?"

"I guess," he said, his voice non committal. He scratched the inside of his ear with his pinky and pulled it out, scrutinizing the digit. Hana ignored the disinterred expression on his face and went on.

"He's been different, lately and so has everyone else associated with him."

"Different, how?" Shamal asked, still watching his pinky with apparent interest.

"He's not 'Loser-Tsuna' anymore."

Ah. So he was becoming a proper Boss. Hats off to Reborn. Shamal looked at her and tilted his head to the side. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Of course it is!" she grated. "But…I've noticed the changes for a while, now. Recently, though, Tsuna looks like he's gotten wiser—like had some sort of ordeal that was pure hell."

That wasn't far off the mark, Shamal knew, running a hand through his hair. Kurokawa was more right than she knew.

"And I want to know what happened and why Kyouko knows about it," she finished.

Shamal sighed. She was adorable, but he had his duty to the Family. Besides, talking without the Boss's permission meant Reborn. Reborn meant death. Death meant no cute girls to grope or seduce. He shoved his hands into his pockets and regarded her steadily, a deep frown pulling his lips down. "I can't tell you," he said regretfully.

Surprise, potent and vicious had her staring at him; it was apparent that that wasn't what she wanted to hear. "What? What do you mean you can't tell me? Why can't you?"

"Because it's not my story to tell." That said, Shamal walked off, cursing Tsuna and Reborn for making him walk away from a cute kitten that he'd once protected from what could have been a nasty demise.

She watched him walk away with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and felt her world start to crumble. There was some sort of conspiracy here and she was going to get the heart of it. Damned if she let Tsuna get away with it without telling her. If Kyouko was allowed to know, then so was she. Besides, she thought, bolstering her confidence, the perverted doctor wasn't the only avenue left to explore. There was still the girl from Midori Middle, the girl from Kokyou High, and Yamamoto. She would talk to Yamamoto tomorrow.

…

Yamamoto was walking to school when Hana decided to talk to hm. Strangely enough, she hadn't seen Tsuna or Gokudera just yet. Normally, the three of them were glued at the hip. "Hey, Yamamoto-kun! Wait up!" she called.

He paused, obliging her. Always the gentleman. "What's up?" he asked, resuming his trek. The early sunlight glinted off the ring sitting on his middle finger. Just like Gokudera and Ryohei, she thought. Different design, but he had a ring, too. She couldn't help but think there was a significance to it.

Tact was hardly her forte, so she decided to be blunt. "Yamamoto-kun—what's with you all?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"You guys look like you went through a horrible ordeal, especially Sawada. So what happened?"

He was silent for a moment. "I can't tell you," he said finally.

"Why not?" she demanded. "Kyouko knows, doesn't she?" she accused. "How about the other girls who're always hanging around you all? They know too, don't they? So why can't you tell me?"

"Because you weren't there, Kurokawa. And because you wouldn't believe me, not having been there."

She came to a stop, pulling him to face her. "Try me," she challenged.

Yamamoto shook his head. "No," he said, his tone absolute.

Hitching his backpack up higher, he continued his walk to school, leaving without a second thought. Hana stood there blinking back an odd surge of tears. Stupid, she thought, closing her eyes and willing the tears back. She definitely wasn't going to let them fall. When she was sure they wouldn't, she reflected on the conversation. She'd never heard Yamamoto's voice so cold, so horribly final. She crossed him off her list. He wasn't going to talk to her. Time to talk to Hibari. She shuddered at that prospect. She'd rather have a root canal without the anesthetics. But as the day wore on, she hadn't been able to find Hibari Kyouya. He wasn't absent—had he been, it would have flown through the school like wild-fire. He was somewhere on the school grounds, damned if she could find him, however.

When her stomach complained, she gave up trying to find Hibari and decided to get some dango, instead. Approaching the vendor, she took her place behind a tall lady with long, cascading hair. She had three kids with her that were unmistakably familiar and Hana realized that she'd seen her before at Tsuna's house. If she remembered correctly, the lady called herself Bianchi and she was related to Gokudera-kun; his sister?

"Oh? If it isn't Sasagawa Kyouko's friend."

"Her name is Kurokawa Hana-san," the eldest of the kids commented. "Dango ranks seventh as her guilty pleasure."

Hana stared at him, disconcerted. She didn't know she _had_ any sort of ranking for food.

"Umm…yeah," she muttered, trying to scoot away from the seeking hands of the boy who was dressed like a cow. She had no clue where those hands had been, but she was pretty positive that his nose was a good bet. Lambo, realizing that Bianchi wasn't going to let him down, stuck a finger In his nose and peered at Hana with a vacant expression. Hana averted her eyes from Lambo's finger and in doing so noticed the ring buried in his hair.

"What does that ring symbolize?" she asked Bianchi, pointing to it.

Bianchi blinked and covered Lambo's mouth when he opened it. "Bless you," she stated, keeping his mouth covered. "It symbolizes undying love," she commented, gripping Lambo a bit tighter.

"That so? So what about Ryohei's ring? How about Gokudera's or Yamamoto's?"

Bianchi frowned. "Goodness, look at the time! Nana-san probably needs help with dinner! Kids, dango will have to wait!" That said, she hustled them off away from the vendor who looked none-to-pleased at Hana for scaring away customers.

Suddenly, she wasn't hungry anymore. With her mind full of thoughts, she slipped out of line and wandered away.

…

She located Hibari on the roof the next day. It seemed to be a stroke of luck that she saw him up there, and then she wondered about that as she climbed up the stairs. She doubted luck had enabled her to find Hibari; Hana was very sure that he'd allowed her to find him, for whatever reason. Maybe he was just curious. And maybe he was going to keep his promise and bite her to death. He looked bored when she stepped out onto the rooftop—bored and unsurprised to see her.

"You've been looking for me," he stated.

"Who'd you hear that from?" she asked instead. She could have sworn that he grinned, but that could have been a trick of the light. She noticed that he had a ring on his middle finger—just like the others that were closely associated with Tsuna. "What's with the rings you all are wearing?"

"I won't answer your questions, Kurokawa, so don't bother," he told her, subtly brandishing his tonfas.

"Then why did you let me find you?"

"Who says I did?"

"I'm not stupid, Hibari. My grades should prove that much. If you wanted to, you could hide from me until we graduate to high school."

"But you are stupid enough to stick your nose where it doesn't belong," he told her, twirling a tonfa.

Her temper flared. "Kyouko's my _friend_, Hibari! Maybe you don't understand that, and more's the pity, but if something's bothering her, then yes, I'm going to start asking questions. _Deal_ with it!" she snarled. Later that night, Hana would reflect on the miracle of snarling at Hibari Kyouya and living to tell the tale. This time, she didn't imagine the smirk. "What's with you and Tsuna, anyways?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You… seem to respect him all of the sudden."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, walking off, his jacket billowing in the wind.

Hana rolled her eyes. Who knew the captain of the school disciplinary committee had a flair for the dramatics?

…

Hana had tried to talk to Haru about it; it seemed as though unsuccessful was her middle name. The girl had refused to say anything about the Tsuna, period. There was one last person that Hana could try: Dokuro Chrome of Kokuyo Junior High, in the next town over. To get there before school let out, Hana did something she'd never done before. She'd played hookie. It had been pathetically easy, she recalled. A stellar student like herself would_ never_ lie to the teacher about not feeling well and wanting to go home. But she did. That afforded her the time to get to the next town and to Kokuyo Junior High. It occurred to Hana that this was quite unlike her and she was behaving like an obsessed person. But facts were facts. There was something different about Tsuna and she wanted to know what it was. Chrome was her very last resort. She'd seen Chrome before. She was unmistakable. Thin, almost painfully so with an eye patch covering one eye. Hana wasn't sure what connection the girl had with the students from Namimori—besides Tsuna, that was—but if it answered her questions, she didn't care. Hell, she'd let her into the school, just to get answers.

It didn't take very long to spot the odd trio. When she did, she marched over to them and planted herself in their path. The two boys stiffened warily and watched her with equal amounts of distrust and curiosity. Chrome simply watched her, as if she knew to expect Hana. Creepy as it was, she didn't let it deter her. "You're Dokuro Chrome-san, right? I want to talk you."

Chrome nodded and turned to her two companions. "Give us a few minutes, all right?" she asked, gesturing to the benches.

"We'll be right over there," the dark-haired boy said before the blond could say anything.

"Keh!" was the others response. "Don't take too long!"

"They certainly are protective of you," Hana commented, watching them move away from the benches to the water fountain, giving the two a semblance of privacy.

"Not me, I'm afraid. You're here about Tsuna-san, right?"

Hana blinked. "What are you, psychic?"

"No, not quite," she replied shaking her head. "Let's say that I heard it from a little bird."

"Ha, ha. Sawada's different," Hana said, not beating around the bush. "So are the people that I'm familiar with. I saw them in class two days ago. What could have happened in two days to change everyone?"

Chrome stayed silent for a few moments. Hana huffed at the silence and looked away. _Huh. It got misty all of the sudden. But that's weird—didn't the weather say it would be clear all day?_ "Hey… what's with this mist? It was supposed to be clear today," she said.

A small chuckle had her freezing where she sat. Tremors shot up her spine; that wasn't a girl's voice anymore. She turned her head very slowly and looked at Chrome. She found herself staring into a strangers face. "You…you're not Dokuro-san," she breathed, looking at him. Her eyes traveled to the hands that he'd clasped under his chin and got a jolt. She—he—whichever—had a ring like Gokudera, Ryohei, Yamamoto, Lambo, and Hibari.

"Oh, I'm her, in a sense. And she's me. It's a symbiotic relationship, little one. Because of Chrome, I can exist outside of Vendice, and because I exist, she lives."

_I…really don't get it,_ she thought. She knew how the concept of symbiosis worked. She didn't understand his version of it. And what the hell was Vendice?

"Anyhow," he said, waving his hand as if he could erase what he'd told her. "Tsuna is different, you say."

"He's… changed. It's like in two days, he saw something horrible and it caused him to grow up. He's not 'Loser-Tsuna,' anymore."

"Hmm… yes, I suppose that's accurate. Tsuna did go through a terrible ordeal."

"I just saw him two days ago," Hana objected. "To put that sort of light in his eyes—or out of it, I should say—needs a really bad thing or time. But there was nothing on the news."

"Time is such an odd variable. Even though I'm here, I'm really not."

"Say what?"

"Thankfully, my jailers don't know. Vendice is very unpleasant."

Another chill slithered up Hana's spine and radiated through her. Jailers. What was she dealing with? Who was she talking to? "Are you a criminal?" she asked softly.

"Oh, yes," he answered, just as softly and more shivers went up her spine.

"Then why aren't you in prison?" she demanded. It was easier to get angry than deal with the icy fingers of fear he was sending throughout her body.

He gave a humorless chuckle. "Silly child," he chided gently. That gentle rebuke and voice had even more chills running through her body and she felt tremors quake through her. She wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to ward off the shaking. He was not a nice person, she knew.

"What do you think Vendice is?" he asked her.

"Umm?" Really, Hana had no clue.

"It's a prison where the worst of the Mafia criminals go. Oh, I won't be there forever. But until ten years pass, there I'll remain, until I can join Tsuna's side as his guardian. Not an altogether happy prospect, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm afraid my answer is too convoluted for you, dear one. Show up in ten years, won't you?"

"Hey—but you didn't even answer my question—" Hana blinked, looking around. The mist was gone and so was her odd companion. In his place once again was Dokuro Chrome. "You're back," she said dully. "Where did the other guy go?"

"Mukuro-sama went back to his body."

"Huh?"

"It's hard to explain."

_I'm her, in a sense. Because of her, I can exist outside of Vendice. Because of me, she is able to live._ That had to be the longest and most honest admission that she'd heard from any of the people that were associated with Sawada. But why did Sawada know a criminal like that person? "He's a criminal. And he knows Sawada."

"Sawada beat him," Chrome corrected. "But this isn't about Mukuro-sama. This is about Tsuna-san. I don't think any of us guardians will help you. You should ask Tsuna-san yourself." That said, Chrome picked up her bag and stood.

"Hey!" Hana called, before Chrome could walk away.

"Yes?"

"What did he mean? Because of you, he can escape Vendice and because of him, you live?"

Chrome regarded Hana silently for a moment before sighing. "If Tsuna tells you his story, I'll tell you mine." Chrome walked away, back to the other two waiting for her.

Hana sat on the bench and simply allowed her body to shiver. Where had he come from? How had he replaced Dokuro? Why did he creep her out so much? Dokuro had said that none of the guardians would help her. Guardians of what? Was this an elaborate role playing game that Tsuna was involved in where he was the leader of the team? Loser-Tsuna as a leader? The thought was laughable. All the same, instinct told her that wasn't the case. And if she wanted answers, she'd have to get them from Sawada Tsunayoshi himself.

…

She didn't really have anything against Sawada, other than the fact that he simply moved through life being a loser. Hana had asked him to meet her alone after school in the park that she'd tried to talk to Haru in. She steeled herself. She was going to get answers today, even if she had to beat them out of him. She watched him as he approached, his back pack hanging on one shoulder, his hands stuffed in his pockets and peered around for the ever-present Gokudera or Yamamoto. Seeing her look around suspiciously for them, he chuckled.

"Don't worry—they didn't come with me. Reborn made sure of that," he said, taking a seat next to her on the bench and dropping his book bag unceremoniously on the ground. He had a ring, too, she noticed. A big, bulky one just like the others. "I heard from just about everyone that you've been asking questions. Why didn't you ask me first?" he queried, before she had a chance to say anything.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "It just didn't occur to me to try and ask you."

"Because in your mind I'm still 'No-Good Tsuna,'" he said without rancor.

Hana flinched and flushed. "Sorry," she muttered.

"What's on your mind, Kurokawa?" he asked.

She watched him from the corner of her eye. Where to start, where to start? He already knew that she'd been asking questions and that those questions had to deal with him. It seemed pointless for him to ask what was on her mind when he already knew, but she supposed he was being polite. Had he ever been nasty, she wondered. She couldn't really recall a time when he'd been intentionally rude.

"You're… different," she said haltingly. And she meant it. Now that they were sitting together on the bench, she could see that he was exuding an odd confidence. He looked like he was comfortable in his own skin, she thought. "The light in your eyes is off—all of you, including Kyouko and that girl Haru are all different. It's like you all went through some horrible… trial. I saw you guys two days ago in class. What happened to make you change so suddenly? And what's with the rings?" she asked, pointing to them. "You've got one, too. Hibari has one, Ryohei, Yamamoto, Gokudera, that Mukuro-san, that baby, Lambo—they've all got rings."

Tsuna watched her steadily as she ranted.

"And don't you _dare_ say that you can't tell me."

He chuckled as her rant came to an anti-climatic end. "No. I won't tell you that. It's my choice whether or not to tell you. But, Kurokawa-san, are you sure you want to know?"

"What was that?" she snarled threateningly. "Would I _ask_ otherwise?"

"No, I suppose you wouldn't," Tsuna commented, musingly. "If I tell you, Kurokawa, you need to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?"

"Think carefully about this, Kurokawa. There's no going back or pretending that you didn't hear me. If I tell you, you won't have the luxury of pretending anything. It's not too late for you to just go home and live your life in bliss and ignorance."

Hana watched him steadily. She could admit, if only to herself that his words had chilled her. "Will I be in danger?" she asked him.

He nodded just once. "It's a definite probability that the danger surrounding you becomes worse, yes."

"What does that mean?"

"You've been targeted before. You and Kyouko both. Do you remember the time when you and Kyouko-chan were walking home from visiting Ryohei-nii and Dr. Shamal intercepted the two of you, telling you two to get home and quickly?"

That was when Ryohei had been beaten up by the kids from Kokuyo High, if she remembered correctly; they'd also removed five of his teeth. Yeah, she remembered that day. "I do."

"That day, you were a target. The both of you. Dr. Shamal saved you, though."

"He did? How?"

"Let's just say the details aren't terrible pleasant."

"So I've already been a target. Why didn't you tell me then?"

Tsuna grimaced. "Even Kyouko didn't know. Call me and her brother selfish, but we wanted her to remain unaware. That way, she wouldn't be burdened with that knowledge. We thought it would protect her better. Didn't work out quite as planned. I ended telling Kyouko and Haru what they wanted to know."

"But you'd protect me, right?" Hana asked.

He gave her a small smile. "Kurokawa-san, we're not the best of friends, but I haven't stopped protecting you."

"Then you'd better start talking," she commanded.

Tsuna nodded. "It all started when a baby by the name of Reborn showed up at my house and announced that he was my new tutor," Tsuna began. Over the course of an hour or so he told Hana all about his escapades. Lambo, Dino, Rokudo Mukuro, the Varia, Xanxus, and the battle for their rings, and finally Byakuran and his demented ambitions. By the time he finished, the sun was starting to set and her head was reeling.

"Surprised?" he asked.

Speechless, she simply nodded vigorously. "But I believe you," she managed, finally.

"Thank you." He stood and grabbed his backpack. "I'll walk you home."

She rose. "I can walk myself. But thanks for telling me, Tsuna. And thanks for protecting me. They're right, you know. You're not 'Loser-Tsuna' anymore. See you in class tomorrow."

Taking her bag with her, she left Tsuna, her mind still trying to take it all in. She was forced to admit that it was better hearing the story from Tsuna.

…

Tsuna stood there, watching Hana as she walked away. She had been looking for Yamamoto or Gokudera; she hadn't been looking for Reborn, who followed her as stealthily as panther. Tsuna knew that the Arcoboleno wouldn't allow anything to happen to Kurokawa. Thoughtfully, he started walking home. Ryohei was a lucky man, he decided. She would go away to college, grow taller, cut her hair, and mature, but ultimately, she would return to Ryohei's side. Ryohei hadn't recognized her in the future photograph, but Tsuna had.

"I feel like I'm a match-maker," Tsuna complained to the Arcoboleno when he rejoined him.

Reborn smirked. "You did the right thing; you're preserving the future," Reborn said, peering at him from beneath the hat. "You've expanded your Family."

Tsuna smiled, deciding not to comment. "Let's go home," he said, instead.

When he and Reborn arrived back at his house, all of his guardians, Bianchi, Fuuta, I-Pin, Haru, and Kyouko were waiting for him. He grinned at them. "It's okay," he told them. I decided to tell her everything," he said, looking at Kyouko.

Said girl smiled at Tsuna, relieved. She didn't have to keep a secret with Hana, anymore. "Thank you, Tsuna."

…

The next morning found Hana in class and a genuine welcoming smile from Yamamoto, Gokudera, Tsuna, and Kyouko waiting for her. She smiled back and took her seat next to her friend and her Family.


End file.
